A Twist In Time
by Iellwen Eruwaedhiel Mirdan
Summary: When the team are introduced to a new member and new and dangerous creatures are appearing, with more than ever from the future, how will they survive, let alone cope? First in a series. Better summary inside. R&R!
1. Chapter 1

Okay, so Nick's dead, Stephen's dead. Who's next? Connor? Abby? The show is depressing me so much that I decided to write my own version. Some of the creature's and situations may be the same as in series three, but that's where the similarities end. In my version, Stephen and Nick are alive and they haven't met Dr Page. So without further ado, let the story begin!

Disclaimer; I do no own Primeval. If I did, Nick and Stephen would still be alive.

* * *

The building startled her. She hadn't expected it to be so intimidating. It looked like the bow of a great ship. As soon as she stepped from the car she wanted to get back in it and drive home. But no, she couldn't. She needed this job. She was running out of money and she had Jake to support. Besides, nowhere else wanted her, despite a pretty impressive resume. It was this, or she started to look for a job in field that didn't involve animals. So she squared her shoulders and walked inside.

A woman met her just inside the doors. She had dark hair, dark eyes and pale skin. She wore a navy blue suit.

"Hello," she greeted. "I'm Jenny Lewis. You must be Jordan."

"It's nice to meet you,"Jordan said nervously.

Jenny heard the nervousness in her voice and smiled. "There's no need to be nervous, Jordan. The team are wonderful. Just tell me one thing, how do you feel about dinosaurs?"

The team waited impatiently. Lester had decided that four of them wasn't enough. They needed another member. Perhaps someone who would be there when Jenny couldn't. So here they were, waiting for their new member, but they had no idea who they were or what they were like.

"How long are we going to have to wait?" Stephen hissed.

"I don't know," his mentor and friend, Nick answered.

Just as Stephen opened his mouth to reply, the doors opened. Jenny Lewis entered, followed by a young woman with long brown hair, bright blue eyes and creamy pale skin. She was dressed in a black skirt and jacket. She did not look at all like the kind of person they were expecting.

"Guys, this is Jordan Sheridan," Jenny introduced. "Jordan, this is Connor Temple, Abby Maitland, Stephen Hart and Nick Cutter."

"Hi," Jordan smiled.

Abby was the first to reply. "It's nice to have another girl on the team. Welcome to the team, Jordan."

The rest, following Abby's example, greeted her warmly.

"Just one piece of advice," Nick said. "Don't wear a suit in the field. Wear comfortable clothes and trainers. Makes is easier to run."

"Run?" she echoed.

Stephen placed a hand on her shoulder. "You'll see."

Nick examined her closely. "Maybe you should think about cutting your hair too."

"My hair?" Jordan looked horrified. She pulled the waist length plait that her hair was in over her shoulder and clutched it tightly.

"You don't have to cut your hair, Jordan," Jenny said, throwing Nick a dirty look. "Just keep it tied back like it is now and you'll be fine. Do you have a change of clothes with you?"

"No, I'm afraid I don't."

Jenny nodded. "Make sure you keep a change of clothes in the car. The alarm could go off at anytime."

Jordan looked like she wanted to ask what the alarm was for, but obviously decided against it.

"Any questions?" Jenny inquired.

"Just the one. When you read my file, did you look at my medical records?"

"Yes, I did." She laid a hand on Jordan's arm. "Don't worry. It wont be a problem."

Nick pipd up. "What wont be a problem?"

"I have diabetes," Jordan offered when Jenny didn't say anything.

"Diabetes?" Connor repeated.

"Yes," Jordan said quietly. Many people had questioned her ability to do the job because of it. But she knew how to take care of herself. "It's not a problem is it?"

Nick opened his mouth, but Stephen got there first. "Is it under control?"

"Well, yes. But -"

"Then it wont be a problem," he interrupted.

Jordan blushed and smiled at him.

Stephen frowned inwardly. Now what had gone and made him stand up for her like that? He felt a pair of eyes on him and pulled himself back to find Nick staring at him.

So Nick had noticed his uncharacteristic defense of a girl he didn't know. Perfect.

After Jordan had gone, Nick turned to Jenny. "Are you sure about this?"

Jenny touched his arm. "Just give her a chance, Nick."

* * *

Over the next week, Nick watched as Jordan got to know the team better. She and Abby bonded over rock music and a similar taste in makeup. She and Connor both liked sci-fi and fantasy, but argued over horror. She shared the same wicked sense of humour as Jenny, meaning that he often found them sitting together, laughing like a couple of school-girls over some deep, dark secret. She and Stephen agreed on very little, which meant that they often argued, but in a friendly way. She could even match Lester's sarcasm. Even Nick found himself liking the new addition. When she wasn't hanging out with one of the team, she was reading. Books that Nick had read and enjoyed. Naturally, they would talk, either agreeing or arguing over them. But more than that, Nick found that once you got past her shyness, she was a very bright and friendly girl.

Little over a week after they'd been introduced to Jordan, the alarm went off,

"Okay, Connor," Nick said. "Where is it?"

Once they had the coordinates, they set off in Nicks Jeep. Jordan sat in the back with Abby and Connor.

"You ready for this, Jord?" Connor asked.

Jordan, though a little paler than usual, nodded.

Luckily for the team, the area where the anomaly had appeared was not heavily populated. It was a local park, and being a work day meant that there was very few people around.

"Okay." Nick took charge. "We need to split up. We have a big area to cover. Connor, go with Abby. Jenny, with me. Jordan, you're with Stephen. I want you to stay close to him. We don't know what we're dealing with here."

They split up. Jordan followed Stephen into the trees eyes darting left and right, ears straining to hear a sound that didn't belong. She knew better than to talk when tracking an animal, and so kept silent, trying to make as little noise as possible.

An earsplitting sound pierced the silence. Birds took off in fright. Jordan listened. It sounded like an elephant, but higher. And it was close, very close. Stephen backed her up against a tree and stood in front of her, gun held firmly in his hand. Jordan understood that he was making sure that the creature didn't sneak up on them from behind. She tried not to move.

The strange sound rang out again. It seemed to be moving away from them.

"Should we go after it?" Jordan asked.

Stephen nodded. "Stay close."

They set off through the trees again, looking for signs that the creature had been here, and that they were on its trail. After several minutes they heard the trees rustle, as though disturbed. The sound came from right behind them. They froze.

"Don't make any sudden movements," Stephen whispered.

Jordan nodded. Stephen made the motion to turn around. Slowly, very slowly, they turned. And what Jordan saw was the most breathtaking sight she had ever seen.

The creature had to be about 25 feet tall. It looked like an elephant, except that its leathery skin was brown, its tusks curved inwards and then outwards, and its legs, which were at least 15 feet, were thin except at its ankles where they fattened out again. It was eating the leaves off the trees, causing the rustling sound that they had heard.

"Its beautiful," Jordan breathed.

Stephen nodded. They must have walked straight past it, he realised. It stood so still. It didn't look dangerous, but he couldn't take any chances. He pulled out his radio.

"Cutter, we found it."

"What is it?" came Nicks voice.

"Some sort of elephant," he replied.

"A mammoth?" Nick asked.

Stephen shook his head and then realised that Nick couldn't see him. "No, its not a mammoth."

Nick was silent for a moment. "Is it dangerous?"

Stephen didn't reply. He watched as Jordan took a hesitant step towards the creature. Then another, and another. As she drew closer, the elephant (for lack of a better word) bent its long thin legs and sat on the ground. Jordan reached into her backpack and pulled out an apple. She offered it to the elephant who regarded her for a moment before stretching out its long trunk to take the apple from her hand.

"Stephen?" Nicks voice crackled through the radio, making him jump. "Is it dangerous?"

"No," Stephen laughed. "No, its not dangerous."

"Okay. Where are you?"

Stephen told him.

"Okay," Nick repeated. "Stay where you are. Ill get the others and come to you." The radio went dead.

Stephen shook his head. Again, he watched as Jordan inched closer to the creature, taking another apple from her bag. He really hoped that she wouldn't need those now she'd given them away. The creature took the apple as it had before. Then, without warning, it wrapped its trunk around Jordan's waist and lifted her towards it.

"Jordan!" Stephen shouted, lifting the gun. That thing was big enough to eat her.

Only to lower it again when all it did was place her on the ground in front of it and hold out its trunk to be petted.

Stephen laughed in amazement. He couldn't believe it. This was perhaps the strangest creature that had ever come through an anomaly. It wasn't nasty, or eating and killing people. It was friendly. The only other creature like that was Rex.

"Are you okay?" he called to her.

"Yeah," Jordan beamed, her whole face lighting up.

Stephen could hear the others heading their way. "Ill be back. Don't go anywhere."

"Okay," she grinned, still petting the creature.

Stephen shook his head again and walked towards the others. They weren't far away, but the trees meant that they couldn't see the creature.

"Where's Jordan?" Jenny asked.

"Back there," he replied.

"With the creature?" she said, more than surprised that Stephen would leave her alone with it.

When Stephen nodded, Nick asked, "Is she alright? How is she taking it? The situation?"

Stephen grinned. "See for yourself."

He led the way back to where the creature. When they reached it the group stopped dead.

"What the hell?" Nick breathed.

What the hell indeed. Jordan had moved from her position in front of the creature to its back. She was sitting there, petting its head. The creature had its eyes closed as though enjoying the attention.

"Jordan!" Nick called to her.

"Hey," she grinned. "Can I keep him?"

Stephen laughed. "Can you get down?"

She shrugged. "I'm a bit high up."

That much was true. The creatures body was at least 10 foot high.

Stephen turned to Abby. "Got your tranquilizer gun?"

"Yes," she replied. "But-"

"Good," Stephen interrupted. "Cover me."

Abby started to ask why, but Stephen had already started towards the creature.

He did it slowly. He didn't want to startle the creature. It might attack him. Somehow though, he doubted it. Either it was friendly, or it had been raised by humans. Making sure he kept in the creatures line of sight, Stephen slowly approached.

"Hey there big fella," he said softly. "Are you gonna put her down?"

As if it understood, it reached behind it and wrapped its trunk once more around Jordan's waist and lifted her towards him. Luckily, Stephen knew what it was going to do and held out his arms to catch her when it dropped her. When it did, he just about managed to keep his balance.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"Yeah," she said. "I'm fine."

Stephen became aware that he was still holding her tight. It was then that he realised how good she felt against him. Slowly, he put her down and Jordan once more reached out to pat the elephants trunk as Nick and the others approached.

"What do we do now?" Abby asked.

Nick turned to Connor. "Is the anomaly still open?"

Connor checked the device in his hand. "Yep."

"Okay. Lets see if we can get this guy home."

"But how are we going to do that?" Jenny asked.

"Maybe we should see if Jordan can get it to follow her?" Stephen suggested.

"That's a good idea," Jenny said.

"But I'm out of apples," she protested.

"I don't think that will be a problem," Stephen laughed as the creatures trunk ruffled her hair.

"Fine," she pouted.

Ten minutes later, after some persuasion in the form of a pear from Jordan, the creature was following her and the team back to the anomaly site, where Jordan got her first glimpse of an anomaly.

"Oh my god!" she gasped. "Its beautiful."

"It is," Nick agreed."Even after all this time its still as beautiful to me as the first time I saw it."

She smiled at him.

"Now what?" Connor asked. "He doesn't look like hes in a hurry to go home, does he?"

Connor was right. The creature had sat down again and didn't show any signs of wanting to move.

"Cant we keep him?" Jordan asked. "He's obviously not from the past. So he must be from the future."

"That's true," Nick agreed. "But we cant keep him here. Has habitat might be completely different."

"I don't know," Jordan replied. "I mean, look at the size of him. Stephen and I walked straight past him. I think his legs help him to hide himself amongst the trees. They look just like tree trunks."

When everyone just stared at her, she squirmed. "What?"

"That makes a lot of sense." Abby said.

"But you're right professor. He needs to go home." She looked up at the creature. "I just got a bit attached."

"Happens to us all," Connor said with a meaningful look at Abby.

Abby, however, looked unfazed. "Remind me to introduce you to Rex sometime."

Jordan looked confused. "Who's Rex?"

"We'll explain later," Stephen offered. "But right now we have to figure out how to get him back through the anomaly."

"Do you think he'd follow me through? We can go through, cant we?"

"We can," Nick said. "But you don't go through alone. Stephen?"

Stephen looked at Jordan. "Let's do it."

Moments later they were ready. They stood, facing the anomaly. The creature, after some coaxing from Jordan, was also standing.

"You ready?" Stephen asked.

"As I'll ever be," she answered before turning to the creature. "Okay, big guy. Follow me." She stepped through the anomaly after Stephen.

The other side was very much like the place they had just left, except the vegetation on the forest floor was thicker. The calls of the strange elephant could be heard, though the creatures themselves could not be seen. A mountain stood towering over them less than half a mile away. Behind them, the anomaly began to bulge.

"Whoa, he's coming through," Stephen said, grabbing her arm and pulling her back.

Just in time too. Seconds later, the creatures foot landed right where they'd been standing. They began to back up, calling to the creature to get him to follow. When they'd gone far enough, they turned and began to back up the other way, this time hoping the creature wouldn't follow them.

"We should be near the anomaly by now," Stephen said. "I think its safe to turn around."

But when they did, the anomaly wasn't there.

It was gone.

* * *

Review people! You know you want to!


	2. Chapter 2

* * *

AN; I'm totally amazed at the response this story has. People actually seem to like Jordan. Please, if you read this, leave a review. I love knowing what people think of my story, even if they don't like it. This chpater isnt very long, but I'm trying to get as many chapters as possible for this story.

I have a question I need answering. Are you ready? Joking! (Wrestling fans should get that). Sorry, I couldnt resist. Anyway, for the next part in this series, I can't decide whether to bring in a creature from the past, or one from the future. Let me know which one you guys would prefer.

On with the story!

* * *

"Stephen?" Jordan said, panic making her voice higher than usual.

Stephen was still staring in the direction the anomaly should have been. "Damn it!" he shouted.

"Stephen?" Jordan repeated. "What do we do now?"

He looked at her as if only just realising she was there and his expression softened. "We wait until it reopens."

She still looked scared. "What if it doesn't?"

Stephen put his hands on her shoulders. "It will," he said firmly. "It will. In the meantime we need to find shelter. We have no idea what sort of creatures exist here."

They started walking towards the mountain, where, Stephen hoped, they would find a cave or something.

After about 10 minutes, Jordan broke the silence they had been walking in. "Stephen? How long do you think we can survive here?"

He considered it. "A while, I'd say. There is a lot of vegetation, so there is our food. There must be water somewhere, so I think we'll b okay."

Jordan was quiet for a moment. Then she said, "Stephen, my insulin."

Stephen froze. Her insulin. How could he forget? She couldn't survive without it. And god only knew how long they'd be stuck here. "How- How long can you last without it?"

"Three days at the most," she said quietly. "After that, I'll slip into a coma and. . ." she trailed off.

But Stephen didn't need her to finish the sentence. He knew what would happen. She would die.

"Do you have any with you?" he asked.

"My fast-acting. But it makes no difference. Stephen, its my background that I need."

So they had three days. Three days for an anomaly to appear, before Jordan slipped away. For how long after that she would stay alive Stephen couldn't say.

* * *

Back on the other side of the anomaly, the others stared at the spot where the anomaly had been.

"What do we do now?" Jenny asked.

"We wait," Nick said. "We wait until it reopens."

"What if it doesn't?" said Connor.

"It will," Nick replied, unknowingly repeating Stephens words. "It has to."

Jenny looked to him. "What do I tell Jordan's parents?"

Nick sighed. "Tell them she's missing. Missing in. . . I don't know. The forest." He turned to them. "We need to post soldiers here for when it reopens."

An hour later, Nick and Jenny were on speakerphone to Jordan's parents, Lisabeth and Jeremy.

"She's where?" Lisabeth asked.

"Missing in the forest of Dean," Jenny told her.

"What was she doing there?" Jeremy asked.

"Working." Nick spoke up. "She was tracking an animal."

"How long has she been missing?" Jeremy questioned. Lisabeth coud be heard sobbing in the background.

"A couple of hours," Nick answered.

Her parents murmured between themselves before her father spoke again. "Does she have her insulin with her?"

Nick and Jenny looked at each other. They hadn't considered it. "I'm afraid we don't know," Jenny said eventually. "How long can she go without it?"

"Three days," Lisabeth sobbed. "Please, you have to find her."

"Mrs Sheridan, we're doing everything we can," Jenny soothed.

The phone call ended not long after. Jordan's mother had begged them to find Jordan's brother, who was studying at Southampton.

"Do we go now?" Jenny asked.

"No time like the present," Nick replied.


	3. Chapter 3

This story is doing much better than I thought it would. Thank you to everyone who reviewed. Please please please review if you read this.

Nattle Sage, you asked if Lester was in this story. To be honest, he's not. This one was focusing mainly on Jordan and Stephen and setting up their relationship. I hope you'll still read it.

I've already started the second part in the series. I'm thinking about having Jordan chop her hair off. What do you think? Let me know!

* * *

They'd reached the mountain just after nightfall, the elephant creature following them the whole way. Luckily for them, there was a cave just a little way up, about 20 feet above ground level. High enough, Stephen hoped, that no predators would discover them. In the morning he would look around, but the main objective had been to get a fire going.

Jordan sat, staring into the dancing flames. They'd eaten some of the food in her bag and she's done her insulin, even though it wouldn't do a lot of good.

She was scared, Jordan admitted to herself. Like most people, she didn't want to die. There were worse ways to go, she supposed, than slipping into a coma. But she'd come very close to a diabetic coma once before and didn't care to repeat the experience. Even know, years after, she could remember how terrible she'd felt. How ill. How weak. How helpless.

Stephen watched the woman sitting across from him, staring into the fire. She sat so still. Since she'd had something to eat and injected the useless insulin, she hadn't said a word. And Stephen didn't blame her. How must it feel knowing you could be dead in three days? How must it feel knowing that every breath you took could be one step closer to your last? It was a knowledge Stephen knew he never wanted.

Deciding to break the silence, he said her name softly. "Jordan."

"I'm scared," she said quietly, not looking up.

"I know," Stephen replied. Sitting as she was, with her knees drawn up to her chest, her arms encircling her knees and her chin resting on top of them, she looked young and vulnerable.

"I don't want to be here," she continued. "Stuck with no insulin." She looked up, meeting his eyes. "I don't want to die."

"You're not going to die," he said gently.

"You don't know that!" she sobbed, putting her head on her knees, crying.

If it had been anyone else, he would have told them to get a grip. But it wasn't just anyone else. It was a woman who knew with absolute certainty that if she didn't get the medicine she needed, then she would die. She had every right to be afraid.

Stephen got up to go and sit next to her. "You're right. I don't know that. But I have to believe that everything will be fine. That we'll be back home before your three days are up. I have to have that hope."

"Its hard," she said.

"I know," Stephen repeated. He put his arms around her and held her while she cried. "I know."

After a while, her sobs stopped and Stephen knew that she'd fallen asleep. As gently as he could, he lay her back, using her scrunched up jacket as a pillow. He put more wood on the fire to make sure it would burn through the night. Then, using his jacket the same way, he lay down next to her and fell asleep.

* * *

Southampton university was a busy place. Even though it was late Thursday night students were still milling about. Nick and Jenny made their way through the crowds towards the halls of residence. Jacob Sheridan, better known as Jake, although 23 years old, was only in his first year. Having made a name for himself in the police force, he'd decided to go to uni and do an army course, so that he could join as an officer. According to his tutor, to whom they had spoke, he was a natural. When they reached his door, Nick motioned for Jenny to knock.

Jake answered the door after a couple of knocks. It was clear at once who his sister was as they looked a lot like each other. Nick suspected that they could pass for twins.

"Jake Sheridan?" Jenny asked, just to be sure.

"Yes," he replied, his eyes narrowing. "Can I help you?"

Jenny looked at Nick who nodded. "I'm Jenny Lewis and this is Professor Nick Cutter. May we come in, please?"

"If you tell me what this is about," Jake said, crossing his arms.

Nick decided to speak up. "It's about your sister."

"Jordan? What's happened? Is she alright?"

"May we come in, please?" Jenny repeated.

Jake stood back immediately. Like most university rooms, there wasnt a lot of furniture. He offered Jenny the only chair while he took the bed.

"Please. Is Jordan okay?"

Nick and Jenny exchanged a glance before Nick spoke up. "She's missing."

"Missing?" His voice shook. "How? Has she been taken?"

"No," Nick answered immediately. "She hasn't been taken. She was tracking an animal through the forest of Dean."

"So she's lost?"

Again, they looked at each other before speaking. "Well, yes. We can't reach her on her mobile, and she's not in the area where she was when we last had contact, so we don't know where she is."

"Are you looking for her? Is she on her own?"

"No," Nick said. "She's not on her own. She was with her partner, Stephen Hart. He'll look after her."

Jake looked between them. "I suppose my parents have asked all about her insulin?"

They both nodded.

"Why aren't my parents telling me all this? Why haven't they been in touch?"

Jenny looked sad. "Obviously your mother is not taking the news well. I think your father is concentrating on your mother."

Jake nodded. "I want to help. I want to help search for her."

"Your parents asked if you would stay at your sisters house. I believe she has animals."

He was shaking his head before she had finished speaking. "No, I want to help look for her."

Jenny also shook her head. "The professionals know they're doing."

Jake hung his head. "But she's my sister," he sniffed. "Alright. I'll go to my sisters. I'll leave in the morning after I've talked to my tutor."

He walked them to the door and shook both their hands but kept hold of Nick's. "Please, find her. She's a great sister. She's paying for my accommodation here and for as much of the course fees as possible, so that I don't have to get a job and can concentrate on my studies. I could just get a job, but she wont let me. You have to find her. Please. Please."

As they walked back to the car, Jenny voiced what they were both thinking. "That was heartbreaking."

"I know," Nick said, taking her hand and squeezing lightly before they got in the car and drove back to the ARC.

* * *

Please leave a review!


	4. Chapter 4

I've decided to give you two chapters because I don't know when I'm going to be able to update again after this because I'm back at uni and I've got loads of work to do. So, enjoy!

* * *

When Jordan woke, she was alone. There was little left of the fire but the glowing embers. She ate an pear for breakfast and injected her insulin. Just as she was trying to decide whether to wait for Stephen or to go look him for him, he appeared at the entrance to the cave.

"You're awake. How are you feeling?" he asked.

"I'm fine. Really," she added when he didn't look convinced. "Where have you been?"

"Looking around," he said sitting down and accepting the pear that Jordan passed him."There's a stream not far from here where we can get water. It goes right through the mountain, so it was probably a river at some point. And if you carry on up the mountain a bit, there's hot springs."

Hot springs?" she echoed. "Stephen will you take me?"

"Sure, I'll take you." He threw the core in the plastic bag they were using for rubbish. "We can go now if you want."

They left the cave, Stephen making sure he'd got the gun. Luckily, there was a path for them to follow. As they walked, Stephen asked her where she'd originally come from.

"Up North. I came down to be closer to my brother while he's at university."

"What did you before you moved?"

"I worked at Twycross zoo. With the cats."

"Do you miss it?" he asked.

"I miss working with the cats. I love cats. They're beautiful animals. But they had to let staff go, and since I was one of the newest keepers, I was one of them. I was offered a job at another zoo, but when Jake moved down here I decided so that I could help him."

"Help him?" Stephen repeated.

"I'm helping pay his way through university."

"Sounds like you're close," Stephen observed.

Jordan grinned. "We are. Don't get me wrong, we didn't always get along. But we were practically the only kids in the street, along with my twin, Jayne, so we only had each other to play with. I guess you could say I was very much a tomboy."

"What?" Stephen grinned. "No Barbies?"

"Occasionally. If I wanted to play with them, I played with Jayne. We're very alike. We used to nick his action men for Barbie. We didn't like Ken."

"You didn't like Ken?" Stephen repeated, raising his eyebrow.

"He's a puff. I always thought he was gay. Barbie needed someone who would sweep her off her feet."

Stephen threw back his head and laughed. It was the first real laugh that Jordan had ever heard him give.

"What else did you do?" he asked.

Jordan bit her lip. "You really want to know?"

"Yes," he frowned. "I don't really know you. Since we're stuck here I'd say now is the perfect time to."

Jordan still seemed hesitant. Why wouldn't she tell him? He got the feeling that she'd been hurt by someone.

"Jordan," he said gently. "Tell me."

"We watched a lot of TV. Our favourite show was a Japanese show called Dragon ball Z. It was slightly weird, but we loved it. We're also huge wrestling fans."

Stephen laughed again, and Jordan found herself wondering what he was like growing up.

"What about you?" she asked. "Any brothers or sisters?"

"Nah. Not me. Just me growing up. I wasn't alone or anything, but I guess you could say I had a privileged upbringing, so most of the kids I hung out with grew up to be snobs."

Jordan was surprised by that. Stephen certainly didn't seem the type of person who had grown up with everything he could have wished for. There was no indication that he came from a rich background. He was Stephen, just a normal guy that she worked with and argued with her about practically everything.

Stephen watched Jordan and couldn't help but smile. He knew what she was thinking. She was thinking that he didn't seem like some snotty rich kid.

Jordan caught him smiling and elbowed him in the stomach to get his attention. "What are you smiling at?"

Stephen looked at her. "Nothing."

Jordan narrowed her eyes but just Stephen smiled, took her hand and pulled her up the narrow path towards the hot springs. When they reached them, Jordan gasped. They were huge! The size of a swimming pool at least. She immediately began to strip off.

"What are you doing?" Stephen asked.

"Getting in," she grinned wickedly before taking off, diving into the spring and surfacing several feet away. "Stephen!" she called. "The waters great!"

Stephen sighed and stripped down to his boxers. As he stood on the side, preparing to lower himself in, he had an idea. Smirking, he took a couple of steps back before running to the edge and launching himself into the water, sending waves all over Jordan.

He broke the surface, laughing. Jordan frowned and splashed him back, but Stephen just kept laughing. After a while, Jordan joined in.

When the laughter had finally subsided, Stephen turned serious. "Diving in like that was dangerous. We had no idea if there was anything in here or if the water was safe."

Jordan frowned. His serious side was back. It seemed as though he couldn't let it go, at least, not for long. "Stephen please. Let's just enjoy the next couple of days."

Stephen caught the meaning behind her words. "Okay, Jordan. Okay." He grinned. "Race you to the side." And he sped off.

Jordan caught up with him a moment later. "That wasn't fair. You had a head start."

Stephen just splashed her. "You're just being a sore loser."

She splashed him back. "Am not."

"Are too," he said, splashing her again.

"Am not!" she protested, splashing him.

In the end, it was a splash war. Trying to stop her, Stephen grabbed her arms and pinned them behind her back. But that left her pressed up against his chest. Her eyes widened and her lips parted slightly. Stephen had the sudden urge to cover them with his own. But then he looked into her eyes. That startling, bright blue hid nothing and showed her soul, pure and innocent.

Abruptly, he let go of her and turned away, cursing himself for his weakness.

"You don't let anyone in, do you?" she said softly.

When he said nothing, she sighed. "Stephen." Her arms came around him to clasp together on his chest. She rested her head on his back. "You have to let someone in."

"I did. And it hurt," he said quietly, telling her what he had told no one else. Helen's betrayal had hurt him more than words could say. When he had realised that she had been playing him all along, the hurt and shame had seemed too much.

"So did I," she replied. "But you cant let that stop you. Not everyone will hurt you."

He turned in her arms, his own wrapping round her waist. He opened his mouth to say something, but a low growl made them both freeze.

Slowly, he turned around, trying to make as little noise as possible. A creature stood not far from where they stood, virtually helpless. His gun was with his clothes. Clothes that the creature was sniffing at. They both stood there, unmoving. Eventually, the creature wandered off.

"Stephen?" Jordan whispered.

"We need to get out of here," he said.

She sighed. Whatever he had been about to say was gone. The fun was over. It was time to get back to reality. And the reality was that they were trapped in the future, slowly running out of time and food, surrounded by creatures they knew nothing about, in a world they knew nothing about.

Sighing again, she got out of the water. Without even bothering to dry herself, she pulled on her clothes.

Stephen watched her and frowned. Reaching out, he placed a hand on her shoulder. "Jordan, I'm sorry."

She looked up at him. "It's okay. I understand. Safety first." There was no sarcasm in her tone, just a quiet understanding. "We should go before the creature comes back."

Stephen nodded. "We'll come back."

Jordan smiled sadly. "I'll be too weak to make the climb by this time tomorrow."

"I'll carry you," he stated.

She laughed softly. "I might just hold you to that. Come on, lets go. I'm tired."

They started off down the mountain. Several times along the way, Jordan stumbled, or had to stop and rest. She looked at Stephen with eyes full of fear. They both knew what was happening. She was getting weaker. It wouldn't be long now.

When they reached the cave, Jordan lay down. "I think I'm going to take a nap."

Stephen nodded. "If you need anything, just tell me."

"Some insulin would be nice," she mumbled sleepily.

Stephen didn't reply. After all, what could he say? Even if he had said something, she wouldn't have heard him. She was already asleep.

The hours passed. The wind picked up and the air grew colder. As time passed, flakes of snow began to drift down. The weather here was obviously unstable. It had been wonderfully warm earlier. The sky continued to slowly darken and the flakes fell faster. The cold crept into the cave and not even the fire could hold it back. He glanced at Jordan worriedly. She had been asleep for a long time.

"Stephen?"

Thank god. He had been beginning to think she wasn't going to wake up. He turned to her. Her eyes were sleepy and she was shivering.

"Stephen, its cold," she whispered.

"I know," he replied, getting up to crouch next to her. "It started to snow while you were asleep. You might want to put your jacket on." He helped her into it. "Are you still tired?"

Jordan nodded.

"Maybe you should go back to sleep," he suggested.

She shook her head. "I feel sick."

Stephen stared at her. He knew that sickness was one of the first symptoms of ketoacidosis. They were heading into danger now. "Are you going to be sick?"

"No, I don't think so. At least, not yet."

Stephen glanced at the entrance to the cave. Snow was still falling, but he knew that it was already night. The sun had set hours ago.

"Try and get some sleep," he told her. "Come on. We'll lie by the fire and share body heat. It's only going to get colder."

They lay by the fire, Stephen spooning her. At first he was unsure what to do with his arm, but Jordan solved that problem for him. She shuffled closer to him, as close as she could get, leaving him with no choice but to wrap his arm around her waist. He fell asleep not long after.

Jordan lay awake for a long time after Stephen had fell asleep. Tomorrow was her last day. If the anomaly didn't open soon, she would die. Already she felt sick, her heart pounding too fast. She was running out of time. She couldn't say how long the thought kept her awake, but it did. When sleep finally came, it was fitful and filled with dreams of creatures and death.


	5. Chapter 5

So, for those who wanted a bit of Stephen/Jordan fluff, here it is. It's something to keep you going since I don't know when I'll be able to post another chapter. Enjoy it, and leave a review!

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She was the first to wake, the feeling of acid shooting through her stomach chasing back sleep. Jordan lay still, trapped in Stephens arms. Not that she minded. She was startled when he threw his leg across hers, nuzzled her neck and mumbled something she couldn't understand.

Jordan froze. He'd nuzzled her neck. It doesnt mean anything, she told herself. He's asleep and doesnt know what he's doing. But she actually didnt care. If this was to be her last morning on earth, then what better way to wake up than in the arms of a handsome man?

But the churning in her stomach become too much. Throwing Stephen off her, she raced to the edge of the cave and threw up in a bush just outside the entrance.

Stephen watched, worried. He got up, walked to her and pulled her long hair out of her face. When she'd finished she sat down heavily. Her face was white, a thin sheen of sweat making her fringe stick to her forehead. Her eyes looked sunken in and the skin around them was dark.

"Drink," Jordan croaked. "I need a drink."

Stephen rushed to get her a bottle of water. "How do you feel?"

"Sick," she answered. "I guess this is it, huh?" She looked up at him, her blue eyes swimming with tears. "Don't leave me."

Stephen wanted to look away, the fear was so plain in her eyes. "I'm not going anywhere. I promise."

Jordan smiled at him and whispered, "Thank you."

"You don't have to thank me." He paused, trying to think of something they could do. Something. Anything. Then he remembered. "Come on. I promised I'd take you back to the springs."

"I won't make it," she sighed. "I'm not strong enough."

"I also said I would carry you. Put your arms around my neck."

"Stephen-"

"Put your arms around my neck."

Jordan sighed but did as she was told. He lifted her easily into his arms and began to make his way up the mountain. He was surprised at how small and frail she felt in his arms. Once at the springs, he set her down and began to strip. As he pulled off his shirt, Stephen glanced at Jordan. Her hands were shaking badly and she was having trouble with the buttons on her shirt.

Stephen knelt in front of her. "Here. Let me." He kept his eyes on hers as he undid the buttons and parted her shirt. They seemed darker, almost a sapphire blue.

He reached up to cup her cheek in his hand. Her eyes closed at the contact. Stephen stared at her. She was beautiful, despite the fact that she was terribly ill.

Slowly, he slid his hand round to the back of her neck and pulled her gently towards him. He hesitated briefly before brushing his lips across her. Jordan gave a small sigh.

This time he didn't hesitate. He captured her lips with his own and slid into the kiss. A kiss that was everything a first kiss should be; soft, gentle, with just a hint of hesitation, as if wanting more, but holding back, afraid to take.

They pulled back and smiled softly at each other. Stephen touched his lips to Jordan's forehead. Without saying a word, he pulled off his jeans. Turning to Jordan, he pushed her shirt off her shoulders and down her arms, kissing each shoulder as he bared it to the cool air.

Kneeling, he pulled off her trainers and socks. He helped her to stand while he removed her jeans. He put her in the water and immediately climbed in after her, pulling her to him and just holding her.

"Stephen?" Jordan's voice was quiet, but strong. "When you go back, will you take my body with you?"

"What?" Stephen asked.

"Please?" she said. "Please take me back. And I'm sure they already know this, but tell my family I love them."

"Why do you want me to tell them that?"

"In case I die," she said calmly.

"You're not going to die!" he said fiercely.

"You don't know that," she said, still in that calm voice. "It's already begun, and odds are the anomaly isn't going to open up soon. I have to be realistic. Please, do this for me."

Stephen gave in. "Alright. I'll do it."

"Thank you."

"Would you like to plan your funeral while we're at it?" Stephen asked sarcastically.

Jordan smiled sadly. "I'm sure my mom already knows what to do."

Stephen kissed her. He couldn't help it. She was being so brave, so calm. He knew he wouldn't be if their places were reversed. She was amazing.

Jordan responded immediately. She put her arms round his neck and pulled herself closer. He was kissing her as though she were made of fragile glass. But she wasn't. She wanted him to kiss her properly.

They held each other as the day wore on. As it did, Jordan began to feel worse. Her head began to pound and she was having trouble staying upright despite the fact that Stephen was holding her.

Eventually Stephen suggested that they head back to the cave. He helped her out, but Jordan was so weak that she couldn't put her clothes back on. He had to carry her back down.

Once in the cave, Stephen used his jacket as a pillow and started a fire. Jordan hadnt said a word for hours now and he wondered if she'd lost her voice. He moved back to her side.

Jordan opened her eyes and looked at him. They looked glassy and she seemed to have trouble focusing on him. "I'm glad you're here. I'm so tired."

Oh, God. Stephen wanted to panic, to tell her she had to stay awake. But it wouldn't do any good. He kissed her lightly. "Sleep," he whispered, holding her hand as she slipped into sleep.

What did he know about her? Really? He knew her opinion on practically everything, from religion to politics, but he didn't really know her. What she'd told him yesterday was all he knew of her past, and she hadn't told him much.

As soon as he moved to put more logs on the fire, she began to thrash about, whimpering slightly. "Stephen!" she cried out.

He quickly returned to her side and took her hand. "Shh. It's okay. I'm here. I'm not going anywhere."

As the day drew to a close, Stephen felt more alone then he'd ever felt in his life. He was trapped here, forced to watch his friend die in front of him. He looked outside. Snow was beginning to fall again, harder and faster than it had the night before. It was almost a blizzard.

He lay down next to her and took her in his arms, planning to keep her warm. But it seemed as though it would be the other way round. She was boiling, obviously running a fever. He sighed and drifted off.

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Leave a review! Pretty please?


	6. Chapter 6

Okay guys, this is the last chapter. I hope you guys have enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it.

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Nick stared at the anomaly detector, willing the alarm to go off. Two weeks. Stephen and Jordan had been missing for two weeks. There hadn't been another anomaly since the one they had disappeared through.

"Staring at it wont make it go off," Jenny said.

Nick didn't say anything.

"Nick," Jenny sat next to him. "You have to stop blaming yourself."

"I sent her through it. Her first anomaly, and I sent her through it."

"She volunteered to go through. And at least she's not alone. It's like you said, Stephen will look after her."

Nick stood abruptly. "He cant look after her if it's insulin she needs."

Jenny also stood. "Nick, please. Don't do this to yourself. It's not your fault."

When Nick stayed quiet, she put her arms around him. Held him while he struggled with his guilt. When he pulled away, he offered her a small smile.

"Thank you."

"Go and get some sleep. The alarm will wake you if it goes off."

He nodded and walked away. Abby and Connor came to stand by her.

"How's he doing?" Abby asked.

"Blaming himself," Jenny answered.

"I think we're all feeling guilty," Connor said.

Abby smiled sadly at him and took his hand. He squeezed hers gently.

Jenny opened her mouth to say something, but the alarm going off stopped her. Nick ran in, eyes wild.

"Where is it?"

* * *

A beeping sound. Stephen jerked awake. Next to him, Jordan was cold. Her fever was gone. For a moment, he thought she was as well. But when he placed his hand on her heart, he could feel it fluttering against his hand, her chest moving up and down as she breathed. He sighed in relief.

As soon as he realised she was alive, he remembered the beeping sound. It was the anomaly detector. An anomaly must have opened. He ran to his bag, pulling it out. It wasn't far from here. There was no way of knowing whether it was the same one they had come through, but Stephen couldn't risk it not being that one. If they ended up further back than he wanted to go then they were no better off than if they stayed here.

Moving quickly, he put out the fire and grabbed their bags. He could carry Jordan. It's not like she was heavy. It was still snowing, so it would be very cold, but that didnt matter.

He braced himself as he left the cave. The wind was cold, biting at him. He protected Jordan as best he could. He could barely see. No more than about two feet in front of him, so he was relying on the detector to tell him that he was going the right way.

But after nearly an hour of walking, he saw the tell-tale glow of the anomaly. He didnt know what he was going to find on the other side, but he hoped it wasnt snow.

* * *

"Do we go through?" Connor asked.

"No," Nick answered immediately. "No one goes through. We cant risk it closing. I'm not losing anyone else."

"But-" Abby looked at the anomaly. "What if they're on the other side? What if this one leads to where they are?"

"They have a detector. If it does lead to them, they'll know its open."

"Do you think she's still alive?" Jenny asked.

"I don't know," Nick replied truthfully.

They stood, watching the anomaly, surrounded by soldiers, all of them with their guns pointed towards the glowing rip in time. They all tensed when the anomaly began to bulge. The soldiers cocked their guns, ready to shoot at a seconds notice.

"Don't shoot!" Nick ordered. "Not until we know what it is!"

The anomaly flared brighter as whatever it was started its journey through. A man stumbled through, carrying a woman in his arms. They were covered in snow. The man was shivering violently. The woman was not moving at all.

"Stephen!" Nick shouted. "Jordan!"

As Nick ran towards them, Stephen looked around. His friends stood staring down at him. All of them; Abby, Connor, Jenny, Nick. Even Lester. He breathed a sigh of relief.

They were home.

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So that's it. It's over! Thank you to everyone who read and reviewed this story. And if you read but didnt review, then shame on you. Anyway, keep your eye out for the next part in this series, it's called Time Warp and I'm going to try and get the first chapter up as soon as I can.

Don't forget to review!


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